Bleaching tips

[Broly_PT]

Hello everyone

I need your help, about two weeks before my acroporas begin to bleach at the tips, which then die and start to get algae. I'll always try to cut so as not to spread.

I follow the method triton.

Ca 450 '
Mg 1350
Kh 7.6
Po4 000
No3 2

Here it is very hot and the temperature does not drop below 27c or 80 f in summer
And about a month ago due to a dosing problem my kh dropped to 5.6, but slowly went up to 7.3.

Some help?

regards

 

[biecacka]

not an expert by far, but I have heard that really low N03 and low DKH can cause that. With really lowN03 seems people choose to keep DKH a tad higher. Just what I have read.

corey

 

[Broly_PT]

Hii

The triton method say to keep the dkh at 8 so i cant raise it more.

 

[biecacka]

oh ok. I am not very familiar with the triton method, sorry. Maybe someone with more experience using the method can chime in.

corey

 

[nervousmonkey]

With lower nutrients, you should keep a lower alkalinity, so 8 is fine. If you want to avoid bleaching of the acros, try bringing your NO3 levels up some. I doubt your PO4 is really at 0, unless you are using a phosphate remover. Are you running a refugium?
The reason why people see "alk burn" or bleaching, is that the coral skeleton, made up of calcium and alkalinity, is growing faster than the coral tissue is, which is made up of proteins, which are made up of amino acids, of which nitrogen and phosphorus are super important. So, keeping your NO3 and PO4 that low will make it appear that your corals are bleaching.

 

[biecacka]

Lloyd, thank you for clearing that up. I had it backwards.

Corey

 

[Broly_PT]

With lower nutrients, you should keep a lower alkalinity, so 8 is fine. If you want to avoid bleaching of the acros, try bringing your NO3 levels up some. I doubt your PO4 is really at 0, unless you are using a phosphate remover. Are you running a refugium?
The reason why people see "alk burn" or bleaching, is that the coral skeleton, made up of calcium and alkalinity, is growing faster than the coral tissue is, which is made up of proteins, which are made up of amino acids, of which nitrogen and phosphorus are super important. So, keeping your NO3 and PO4 that low will make it appear that your corals are bleaching.

hello, yes i'm using a refugium!! But the tips after some days start to die and getting algae., so i dont know if is realy fast grow or simple dying.

regards

 

[nervousmonkey]

Refugium = good! Great way to keep nutrients where you want them. Are you running the Triton method the way that Triton suggests with the fuge the first section? How full is it? Refugiums that are packed with macros *can* cause greater nutrient loss than you want, as well as greater removal of dissolved organic carbon's, which play a very large part in protein synthesis. The way to think about this is protein synthesis, so it doesn't matter whether the acros are growing faster than tissues can be generated, or whether your acros are simply losing tissue. Either way, they are not synthesizing proteins quickly enough, or in great enough volume.
What is the temperature of your tank? What is the temp swing? Most of the time, temp swing is not that big an issue, but I think in your case, I am a little wary of temperature because of what you stated about temps in your location getting pretty warm. High temps will easily cause tissue loss and death. Is there any tissue loss anywhere but the growth tips? If you are simply losing tissue, you would see it all over, not just the growth tips.
What is your lighting like? In cases where there is a strong light source, good alkalinity and calcium levels (such as what you reported), and good flow, the corals will grow. Those are all the signals that your corals need to tell them it is OK to grow. With a nitrate level of 2, with a very possible PO4 level close to 0, your corals have no way to synthesize the proteins required for life.
My recommendation is to take out 3/4 of the macros in your fuge, or leave about 1/4 of what you have. Don't remove enough that it shocks your tank, but enough that your NO3 levels start to increase. You can also try to feed more in order to raise levels of NO3, PO4 and dissolved organics. What you need here is more "ingredients" for your corals to synthesize proteins with, and you will see a dramatic difference in your corals.

 

[Broly_PT]

hello nervousmonkey

Yes im running triton like they say, refugium in the first section, its not full.
The temperature some days, swing between 27c and 29c ... today is better 26.4c
Only lossing tissue in the tips.
My lights are T5 8x80w and 2x54w , and im not running many hours, about 7 or 8 per day.

OK i will follow your recommendations, feed more or take out some of the macro algae.

thanks and regards